A thermoplastic strip, such as for a tamper evident seal, is generally applied to a container by gluing the leading edge of the strip to the container, wrapping the strip around the container and then gluing the trailing edge of the strip to the overlapped leading edge.
In the alternative, the strip may be formed into a sleeve by wrapping it around a cylindrical mandrel and then gluing the overlapped edges together to form an oversize sleeve, which is thereafter slipped over the container. In either event, after application to the container, the sleeve is heat shrunk to engage tightly around, and follow the contours of, the container and, when the strip is being applied as a tamper evident seal, to the container cap or lid as well.